#2 Mount Union Takes Two To Get Win No. 1 at UW-Oshkosh

﻿﻿OSHKOSH, Wis.--The No. 2 ranked University of
Mount Union football team turned two first half turnovers into two
touchdowns and sophomore quarterback Neal Seaman
(Louisville/Louisville) tossed five touchdown passes in his
first-ever start as the Purple Raiders scored a 45-28 season
opening win over The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Saturday in
Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Seaman completed passes to eight different receivers as he was
26-of-37 for 320 yards. All-American seniors in wide receiver Cecil
Shorts (Cleveland/Collinwood) and tight end Kyle Miller
(Elida/Elida) were his top targets. Shorts had five catches for 105
yards and a touchdown while Miller had a game-high seven catches
along with 82 yards. Sophomore running back Jeremy Murray (Martins
Ferry/Martins Ferry) caught two scores with a team-best 69 yards
rushing and junior wide receiver Brandon Brown (Merrilville,
Ind./Cincinnati Harmony Prep) hauled in the other scoring pass.

UW-Oshkosh (0-2) sophomore quarterback Nate Wara also had a
strong outing as he threw three touchdowns on 20-of-34 passing for
238 yards and rushed for a game-high 80 yards on 15 carries.

After both teams traded possessions, Seaman hit Shorts on a
35-yard scoring pass. Then two plays later, sophomore defensive end
Charles Dieuseul (Winter Haven, Fla./Lake Region) forced a fumble
and Arthur Smith (Miami, FL/Killian) recovered it to give the
Raiders the ball on the Titans' 35-yard line. Dieuseul finished
with a game-high 12 tackles and a sack to lead the Raider
defense.

Running back Zac Lemmon (Granville/Granville) then made it 14-0
as he ended a five-play drive with a 10-yard touchdown run.

Mount Union missed a field goal early in the second quarter and
Oshkosh then grinded out an 11-play drive and go the score to 14-7
as Nate Wara hit his brother and wide reciever Justin Wara on a
10-yard touchdown pass.

Oshkosh was driving to tie the game when the Titans fumbled the
ball again; this time forced by freshman defensive lineman Matt
Fechko (Twinsburg/Twinsburg), recovered by defensive lineman Chris
Favazzo (Blacklick/Columbus-St. Charles) and gave the Raiders the
ball on the Titans' 13-yard line. On the very next play Seaman
completed a scoring pass to Murray to extend the the lead to
21-7.

Later in the quarter a 44-yard punt return by Shorts gave the
Raiders another short field and just four plays later Seaman and
Murray connected again from 11 yards to push the margin to 28-7
with just 52 seconds left in the half.

Oshkosh quickly responded as Wara covered 64 yards in four plays
in 38 seconds and hit Paul Coburn on a six-yard strike to bring the
score to 28-14 at the break.

Midway through the third quarter Seaman engineered his longest
drive of the game, an 11-play, 76-yard march and moved the score to
35-14 with a nine-yard pass to Shorts.

Wara would not go away as took the Titans 80 yards and Jeremy
Roach ran in a score from three yards out to keep them within
striking distance at 35-21 after three.

Seaman threw his fifth touchdown pass early in the fourth
quarter a 14-yarder to Brown and Wara answered with a score just
over two minutes later to make it 42-28.

Tyler Almeida (Elyria/Elyria) finished the scoring with a
19-yard field goal and the defense held for the 45-28 final.

Mount Union stays on the road next week opening up Ohio Athletic
Conference play next Saturday at 1:30 pm at John Carroll.